Carlois Alcaraz has opened up about the abusive messages he receives on social media following Katie Boulter's admission about the scale of the problem within the sport. British ace , 28, has called for more to be done to protect tennis players after showing that wishing for her to get cancer and other threats targeting her family.

In an interview with , Boulter described social media abuse as "the norm" and explained that the volume of messages had increased dramatically since the start of her career. The tennis star is far from alone in her experience. Five-time Grand Slam winner has also been the subject of abusive messages and has discussed his approach to dealing with online trolls.

"Yes, I receive it. Obviously, when you've lost, you receive a lot of messages," Alacaraz told reporters. "Some of them are pretty good, some of them are pretty bad.

"I learned when I lose not to see social media that much because sometimes, when I did, when I lose a match in the first round or lose a match I shouldn't have, and I saw the messages, it affected me a lot.

"Sometimes, it's difficult to deal with it, so I learned with experience that when I lose or things are not going pretty good, not to see social media that much.

"As professional athletes, we have to deal with it the best way possible, and if I have to give advice, not to see social media when things are not going well because people sometimes can be really dangerous."

Boulter is currently attempting to defend her title at the Nottingham Open, while Alcaraz is However, whether they win or lose their , both players will likely expect to receive more abusive messages.

"I think it just kind of shows how vulnerable we are," Boulter said. "You really don't know if this person is on site. You really don't know if they're nearby or if they know where you live or anything like that."

Boulter described the volume of messages she receives during Wimbledon as "astronomical". However, her candour in addressing the problem has allowed other players to speak out.

Boulter's partner and world No.12 Alex de Minaur discussed the "dark side" of social media while British No.1 Jack Draper shared his concerns about the younger generation of athletes dealing with the problem. Meanwhile, British No.4 Harriet Dart posed a possible solution.

"This isn't just a tennis issue. This is a global issue, and it's not just a sport issue," Dart explained to . "It's everywhere. It's even regular people who I'm sure get trolled or whatever by certain people or individuals.

"We live in the 21st Century, and are we not ID-ing people on social media. You can connect people, and then people can be found and stuff. Because it's pretty horrific, the abuse that all of us get. That's why I feel like a lot of the time, social media can be like a big negative."

The government opted against including identification measures on social media in the Online Safety Act 2023, partly due to freedom of speech and the anonymity required for certain groups, including survivors of domestic abuse. However, a government spokesperson described the messages Boulter and other athletes had received as "appalling and deeply wrong".

"Platforms now have a legal duty to prevent illegal content like death threats and calls for violence, and Ofcom has the power to take tough enforcement action, including substantial fines," a government spokesperson said. "Our message is clear - perpetrators and platforms will be held to account."